Call of the Wolf
by Ksue
Summary: On what was supposed to be a routine visit to the Earth, Rose and Ten run into a secret organization bent on harnessing alien power, and they want Bad Wolf. When the villains resort to torturing the Doctor, Bad Wolf calls out to the Universe for help. Eleven and Clara are drawn from one timestream to the other, and the four of them must battle the bad guys and their feelings.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first attempt at a DW fic, so be gentle. I'm also American, not British, so if some things don't ring quite true that's why. If anybody out there is from the UK and would like to help me make it more British, pm me! **

**There isn't a specific point in the show where this fic takes place, just vague series 2 for Ten and Rose and vague series 7.2 for Eleven and Clara. It also assumes that at some point Rose and Ten became actual lovers. **

**Also, I couldn't have written this fic without my dear friend Marissa. It's ten times better in both plot and execution than it would have been because of her. **

**Chapter 1 – Ten and Rose**

"Rose!"

"What?" Rose asks, sighing heavily, though not without smiling, as the Doctor bursts through their bedroom door in all his wild haired, brown pinstriped glory. She knows that tone, that manic giddiness that usually ends up with them locked in some dungeon.

"Look!" The Doctor thrusts something at her; a heavy piece of cardstock with stylized print. Rose glances away from the mirror she's using to apply her mascara and takes the paper from him.

"Earth Protection Summit?" Rose asks. She's never heard of it. Of course the date is in her personal future, 2013, so she isn't surprised. A lot can happen in six years.

"Yes!" The Doctor's wide grin lights up his entire face, and Rose's heart melts a little more. She loves that smile.

"But what is it?" Rose asks. "Obviously something about protecting the Earth, but why do they want you there?" Words from long ago ring in her head; _It is defended._

"Well, you know I worked for UNIT that one time. And Dr. John Smith of The University of Gallifrey is still highly regarded as an alien expert." The Doctor takes her hand and fairly drags her to the console room, bouncing with barely restrained energy.

"And where is The University of Gallifrey?" Rose asks, smiling and poking her tongue out between her teeth. It's distracting for him, she knows, but it's such a reflex she can't help it.

"Somewhere in Ireland, I should think." The Doctor starts walking around the console, throwing levers and switches, pushing buttons, and hitting things with his mallet. Rose sighs and sinks into the jump seat.

"So we're going then? I thought you were taking me to Barcelona?" _Finally_, she adds silently. She's been hearing about those bloody noseless dogs for so long, and she wants to see them.

The Doctor comes to stand in front of her, taking her hands in his and brushing his thumbs across her knuckles, an apology in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Rose, but we have to go. I have responsibilities, duties to this world, and this is part of it. I can't always be here to save the planet, and going to this summit may make all you humans a little more capable of defending yourselves. I promise, when this is over I'll take you to Barcelona, and then we'll find a pleasure planet…somewhere on the edge of the universe where all we have to worry about is us," the Doctor says, lifting her hands so he can brush a kiss to each of her fingers.

"Isn't that why we spent the last week floating around in the Vortex?" she teases. Images of the two of them hiding away in bed for an entire week, almost an eternity for a man as restless as the Doctor, flits through her head and she feels the stirrings of desire low in her belly.

Before her hormones can really take hold, Rose jumps to her feet and moves towards the console. "Well then, Doctor, allons-y!"

The TARDIS lands them far more gently than usual, and a glance at the monitor shows they're parked in an alley, set just back from a busy London street. Rose makes to bounce down the ramp like usual, but the Doctor stops her.

"Hold on, I've got to get a bio-damper."

"A wha'?" Rose asks, resuming her place in the jump seat. The Doctor pulls something that looks like a ring out of his pockets and aims his sonic at it.

"Bio-damper. It will mask my biological signature and make me appear human to any sensors that they might be using at the Summit. Something as serious as this, with the political leaders that are going to be around, they'll most likely be on the look-out for any kind of alien infiltration. This will make sure I don't set it off." He slides the ring onto the third finger of his left hand, and Rose tries not to think how good he looks wearing a ring there. He probably doesn't even get the significance; she doubts Time Lords wore wedding rings.

"What about me?" Rose asks, half hoping she'll get to wear a matching one, just so she can pretend for a minute. The Doctor shakes his head.

"You're human, you don't need one." He reaches out for her hand and as seamlessly as though she's been doing it her entire life, she slides her fingers through his. "Now then, Rose Tyler, allons-y!"

They spill out of the TARDIS and into the alley. Rose peeks around the corner, spying the London Eye and other landmarks in the distance. It looks exactly like the London she knows, but something about it feels different, foreign. There's some sense of foreboding, deep in her soul, that says this isn't her London. Almost the way it had when they crashed the TARDIS in Pete's World, except this time there are no zepplins in the sky to give away that they're in a parallel universe.

"We didn't fall through the Void again, did we?" she asks. The Doctor frowns at her.

"Why would you say that?" Then he stops next to a lamp post and licks it experimentally. Rose shudders. She kisses that mouth. How many germs did he just expose her to by licking a disgusting London streetlamp? "Nope. We're in the right universe. Right year, right month, even the right day. We're right where we're supposed to be, down to the millisecond."

Rose snorts. "Now I know something must be wrong."

"Oi!" Rose giggles and leans into the Doctor, the wrongness of London forgotten.

The TARDIS parked them several blocks from The O2 arena, where the Summit is taking place. It isn't yet open in Rose's London, but it's under construction. To see it finished and open for use is overwhelming.

"Wow," Rose says as they approach the massive venue. Police and what look like private security roam the streets with more and more frequency the closer she and the Doctor stroll to the arena. She clutches the Doctor's hand tighter. If the Summit is using The O2 as their venue, it's clearly a large and very public operation. She wonders what could have happened between her own time and the time they're in to warrant such an event.

"Doctor…what happened to make this such a huge event? Do you know?" He frowns and shakes his head.

"The timelines are muddled, which means whatever it is…we're a part of it. Could be just us attending the Summit is what makes us part of it, but it could also be something bigger that hasn't happened for us yet." Rose frowns, but isn't surprised by his answer. Of course if there were an alien event big enough to spawn the Summit, she and the Doctor would be involved. It's their specialty.

They stroll closer to the arena. Most people making their way inside are dressed in suits, carrying briefcases or little rolling suitcases. The Doctor will fit in fine in his pinstripe suit; he always does, and even if someone noticed his outfit is slightly out of place, they'll probably just label him an eccentric professor. Rose, on the other hand, in her jeans and jumper, looks distinctly like she doesn't belong.

"If you're professor John Smith, who am I supposed to be?" Rose asks. The Doctor looks down at her briefly before turning his eyes back to the throngs of people around them.

"You're Rose Tyler, my plus one." She hums, neither pleased nor displeased with his answer. People will probably assume she's an assistant of some kind, maybe a graduate student if he introduces himself as a professor. She resolves not to worry about her clothes; she'd met Queen Victoria in denim and trainers for God's sake.

The closer they move to the O2, the more butterflies explode in Rose's stomach. Her muscles tense and she worries that the bio-damper won't work. It wouldn't be the end of the world, probably. They'd made it out of tougher scrapes than any trouble they could find here, but she can't stop herself from worrying. They're finally, properly together, and she doesn't want to lose him so soon after they got their act together.

There's a long queue of people waiting to get into the Summit, and the Doctor was right, the guards are scanning everyone. Each person passes through one of those arches that look like the metal detectors they use in airports in Rose's time. Her fingers tighten on the Doctor's.

"You're sure the bio-thingie will work?" The Doctor smiles, the skin around his eye crinkling, and he presses a kiss to her head.

"Yep." They take their places in line, the Doctor first just in case, and Rose lets out a slow breath.

"Okay."

Despite taking the time to scan each and every person, quite thoroughly it seems to Rose, the queue moves quickly and the Doctor is next before Rose is ready.

A guard in all black combat gear, with an array of weapons and restraints at his belt, waves the Doctor under the scanner. The Doctor gives Rose a quick wink and steps through.

Nothing.

No alarms, no lights, no commandos dragging the Doctor away. The guard waves him away and he turns to Rose, a triumphant, cheeky grin on his face. Rose smiles, tries not to laugh, and breezes through when the guard waves at her next.

Sirens blare.

"What?" the Doctor cries, as Rose looks around for the source of the noise, the alien who set off the sensors. Because it can't be her. She's human. It can't be her. "What?"

"Doctor…" Rose doesn't know if she's warning him to stay calm or begging him to fix this, possibly both.

"You'll have to come with us, Miss," one of the guards says, stepping forward and reaching for Rose's arm. She jerks away without thinking, her heart galloping into a rhythm way too fast to be healthy.

"But…"

"Now just one minute…" the Doctor starts. The guard holds up his hand as another flanks Rose's other side.

"It's just a precaution, Doctor Smith. Lots of aliens lurking about, trying to catch a ride into this place. We just want to make sure she's not got a parasite or virus, and fix it right up if she has." The guard's tone is soothing, calm, and his grip on Rose's arm is guiding, not forceful. She breathes a sigh of relief. They just want to help.

The Doctor stares at the guard with narrowed eyes, and Rose can see the Oncoming Storm brewing. It wouldn't do for him to show his hand now. Rose is human, not an alien, and any test they run will confirm that. She's probably just got some alien residue on her from their last adventure. Or maybe all the lovemaking she and the Doctor have done over the last week has left some traces of Time Lord on her. Either way, she's human and it will all be fine.

"Doctor," she says, making sure his eyes are locked on hers before she continues. "I'll be fine. Go on, I'll find you when they're finished. It'll just be a mo'."

The Doctor looks like he wants to say something, but instead he gives a short nod.

"I'll see you soon, Rose Tyler."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the lovely feedback on Chapter 1! Here we are on to chapter 2. Let me know what you think!**

**Chapter 2 – Eleven and Clara**

Clara is running like she's never run in her life, and that's saying something since life with the Doctor means she's always running from something.

She lost the Doctor somewhere farther back in the caves, she isn't sure where and she can't stop long enough to think about it. The Klaxor chasing them have talons so sharp she can see the razor edges glint in the light, and if she slows down, if they catch her, they could probably slice her clean in half. And they want to, she can feel it.

Clara curses the Doctor yet again for picking up that stupid egg. He said the aliens were sleeping, that this particular species sleep so deeply, they wouldn't hear the cloister bells if they rang right next to their ears. It's why the race was nearly extinct; so many other species are poaching their eggs while mum and dad sleep. Apparently the Klaxor have done a bit of evolving, because the moment the Doctor picked the egg up, mum came awake with a piercing shriek. And even though the Doctor instantly returned it, mum, dad, and several aunts and uncles gave furious chase.

"Doctor!" Clara yells, trying to find him in the madness. She thinks she hears his muffled voice from somewhere behind her, but she can't be sure.

She comes to a fork in the caves and has only a moment to choose; left or right. She chooses left, she always chooses left, for some reason, and pumps her legs harder. The halls of the cave are dim, and she doesn't see the dead end until she nearly runs into the wall. Coming up short, Clara's heart sinks. She can hear the Klaxor behind her. She hears the smooth rustle of its scales as it raises its claws.

Clara turns to face her death head on. The alien is poised, ready to strike, and Clara takes a deep breath. The alien is so large, it fills most of the hallway, but with its talons raised there's just enough space to the right of it for her to slip through. If she's fast enough. She has to be fast enough.

She forces herself not to think about the consequences, because if she does she'll be frozen with terror and her plan will never work. Instead, she takes a brief moment to steel herself and then dives toward the space. The alien's claw comes down behind her, and Clara feels the displaced air stir the hairs on the back of her neck. There's resistance from the red sweater she wears as the alien's talon catches the fabric, but it slices the sweater clean off and leaves Clara free to run.

She's made it. She puts on a burst of speed, digging into the uneven ground, hoping to reach the freedom and refuge of the TARDIS soon.

Her toe catches on a rock, and she falls.

Clara turns as she falls, landing hard on her shoulder and grimacing as sharp edges cut into her skin. Burning pain flares through her arm, but it doesn't matter. Not if she's going to die in the next five seconds.

The alien looms above her, his talon lifted high in the air, ready to cleave her in two. She closes her eyes, but the killing blow never reaches her. Instead she feels a rush of air and hears a grunt somewhere above her and then the piercing shriek of a dying alien.

Slowly, Clara opens her eyes. Just barely at first, peeking out to see if she should look more fully. Everything seems still. The alien's body is crumpled on the ground, one of its talons twitching like it might come roaring back to life. Clara opens her eyes the rest of the way and sits up, rocks and gravel from the ground gouging her hands and her knees. Her tights are a shredded mess, she's sure of it.

Next to her lies the Doctor.

"Doctor?" Adrenaline spikes through her as she leans over his prone form, checking for severed limbs or spilled entrails, but there's only a gash across his chest. It's deep, but not nearly as bad as it could have been. The Klaxor must have just grazed him. His braces are severed though, and she's sure he'll be absolutely petulant about it. Sometimes she feels more like a babysitter than a companion.

"Doctor, come on. Budge up, we've got to get you to the infirmary so we can heal up that gash. Come on." The Doctor stirs and groans. A grimace flashes across his features. Clara reaches for his hands, ready to haul him to his feet. She's used to a dry coolness when their hands clasp, but this time they feel clammy, like he's got the flu. His face is sallow.

"Doctor? Doctor!"

Clara firmly pats his cheek, almost a slap really, and he opens his eyes.

"Hello," he says, his voice soft and weak. Clara frowns over him. Sweat beads on his forehead…do Time Lords sweat? Clara isn't sure. Whatever the case, he's in pain.

"Come on, we've got to get to the TARDIS." She stands and pulls him with her, but he wobbles and slumps into her, almost taking her down again. "Doctor?"

"Venom," he says through his teeth as he eases himself back to the ground.

"What?"

"Venom. Fast acting, can't even regenerate fast enough to beat it."

"Regen-what?" Clara asks. He's not making any sense to her. She tries to lift him again, but he waves her away.

"I'm dying."

"What? Don't be daft, it's just a cut. Come on Chin Boy, the dermal regenerator will heal you right up. And if there's really a venom, I'm sure the TARDIS has an antidote."

"Nope. No antidote available. Never been able to get a sample of the poison. I'm dying, Clara. Will be gone soon. Don't worry, though, the TARDIS is set to take you home. Just leave it after it does, let it die. She was a good ship."

Clara stares at him, unable to fathom the way he's just sitting back and accepting his own death. Last of the Time Lords, brought down saving an unremarkable human girl. A girl who doesn't really matter, in the grand scheme of things. Not the way the Doctor does.

"You're so stupid!" she shouts, grabbing fistfuls of the Doctor's shirt. White, hot anger floods her veins, crashing over her like a tidal wave. "Why did you do that? Why did you jump in front of it? Now you're going to die and there will be no more Time Lords and I'm just a girl! Why would you do that Doctor?"

A ghost of a smile passes over the Doctor's lips and then quickly falls away. Even that small gesture is too much for him now. He strokes his thumb over her knee, the only piece of her he can reach.

"Impossible."

"What?" Clara asks, sure that he's delusional now.

"Not just a girl. Impossible. And it was worth it to save my impossible girl." Clara rocks back on her heels. She can't just sit there and let him die. There must be something she can do. The TARDIS will help, she's sure of it. Even though the ship doesn't like her, Clara knows the TARDIS loves the Doctor, and would do anything to help him.

Clara leaps to her feet and moves towards the dead alien. When she looks closely, she can see the shining beads of venom of the talon, even in the dim light of the cave. The Doctor said he never had a sample. Now he does, if she can get it back to the TARDIS. She surveys the corpse and frowns, realizing there's no way she can drag the dead weight of the massive Klaxor back to the Doctor's ship.

Working as quickly as she can, Clara repositions the alien so that the talon is leaning against a rock. If she can stomp hard enough on the joint where the talon meets hide, it might break and she could carry it back.

A satisfying snap echoes off the walls.

"Listen, Doctor. You hang on. I don't care what you have to do, you are not allowed to die. I'll be back. Do you understand?"

The Doctor manages a nod, and Clara runs.

#

With help from the TARDIS, Clara makes the antidote. There's far too much waiting, though, and by the time the small vial is ready, almost half an hour has passed. Clara fairly rips it from the machine that created it, pats the console in thanks, and runs back to the Doctor as fast as her legs will carry her, praying that he isn't dead yet.

"Doctor!" He's slumped against the wall, skin leached of all color and chest not visibly moving. Clara falls to her knees beside him. "Doctor!"

He grunts in recognition, his eyes open a sliver. Clara nearly sobs with relief. As it is, silent tears stream down her cheeks, splattering onto the Doctor's trousers. With shaking hands, Clara uncaps the vial and holds it to his lips.

"It's the antidote. You've got to swallow it," Clara says, tipping the liquid into his mouth. She clamps a hand over his lips, waiting for him to swallow. He does, slowly and grimacing with the effort, and Clara feels like cheering.

"You'll be okay now, yeah?" Clara asks, her hand settling on his thigh, She squeezed, trying to draw him back to awareness.

"Oh Clara," he managed to whisper. "So very brave."

"Not very."

"Yes, very. When the TARDIS takes you home…"

"She won't be taking me home unless you're the one driving her. You know she'd never listen to me. It's just as likely that she'll leave me on some strange planet in the Koyash System rather than taken me anywhere near home. You have the antidote, you'll be okay," Clara insists. The Doctor doesn't look any better, though, and she's starting to doubt that she brought it back in time.

"Shh," the Doctor weakly threads his fingers through hers and gives a feeble squeeze. "Clara, my impossible girl, I am so glad I met you."

He's saying goodbye. Clara knows it as clearly as if he actually said the word. There's so much left to say, so much she wants to tell him. He can't die, not to save her. He can't, but if he does…

"My Doctor," she whispers. She leans in and presses her lips ever so lightly to his brow.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: On to chapter 3! Here is the point in the story where the light torture comes in. It isn't terribly graphic but if that sort of thing makes you uncomfortable, be warned. **

**Chapter 3 – Ten and Rose**

Rose doesn't know what to think. The blokes in combat gear are reassuring, telling her over and over that the tests are for her safety, just a precaution, but something in the way they won't give her any specifics makes her skin crawl. She's been sitting on a padded table in a stark white room for almost an hour while they draw blood and take scans of her body. She misses the Doctor.

Taking a deep breath, Rose musters all her courage and stands, edging towards the door.

"Listen, guys, thanks for the concern, but I think if something were wrong we would know by now. So I'm just going to go…"

Rose is stopped by a hand curling tightly around her elbow. A commando with blonde hair and cold blue eyes pulls her back towards the table.

"Sorry Ms. Tyler, you can't leave just yet. We have to be thorough, fate of the earth and all that. It'll just be a minute or two more," he says. Rose tries to discreetly pull herself from his grasp, but his fingers only tighten until it's all she can do not to whimper. He pushes her down on the table, hard.

"Look, you can't just keep me here without telling me anything. I'm human, my blood tests told you that. All the scans told you that. If you haven't found some alien parasite yet, you're not going to, so you can bloody well sod off." Rose fights hard to make sure she doesn't raise her voice. Behind her, the door opens and quickly clicks shut. She hears the heavy deadbolt lock slide into place and fear spreads like ice through her veins.

"There's one place we haven't looked yet." And with that cryptic statement, the man attaches a cuff to her wrist. She yanks on it, trying to wiggle free, but it's as good as an iron shackle.

"Oi! Let me out of this right now!" The man ties her other wrist while a second commando comes forward to trap her legs. Rose pitches her body as hard and as fast as she can, but they're stronger than her and in moments she's secured to the table with barely enough slack in the restraints to bend her elbows.

"She's all yours," the first bloke says to someone at the head of the table. A face leans over Rose, with translucent, smoke grey eyes and skin tinted light blue. Long, slender fingers move towards her temples.

"No!" Rose shouts, twisting and turning her head, trying to dodge out of the way. "I don't give you permission to go inside my head!"

"I don't need permission, child. They're going to reward me for my services either way. There's no way for you to resist, so why don't you be a dear and just lie still while we see what kind of beastie you really are. If you're lucky, maybe you'll be something useful, like me."

Fingers settle at her temples and white hot pain explodes through her skull.

After a moment that feels like eternity, the fingers fall away and the telepath stumbles backwards, breathing heavily. Rose blinks, trying to clear her blurry vision, but pain spikes through her head again, like the worst migraine she's ever had times one hundred.

"Not human…"

"Powerful…too dangerous…"

"…harness it?"

"Wolf. Bad Wolf."

And then there's only blackness.

#

Something is not right. The Doctor knows it like he knows the stars in the sky. Rose has been gone too long, and there's a current of malice in the air, a certain superiority that only humans bent on destruction and domination can exude. It skitters across the Doctor's skin like a swarm of invisible insects, making him shudder.

He loves the human race for its resilience, its ability to evolve and grow, and most of all for its capacity to love, but he has seen all too often how easily this beloved race of beings becomes corrupted by ambition and power. He always feels this same sense of foreboding in the air when that happens.

As the Doctor makes his way towards the doors marked "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY," he has one thought: he should have given Rose a damn bio-damper.

#

When Rose wakes, she's still tied to the table, but this time the table is adjusted so that she's sitting up, and there's a commando seated in a chair before her. He's holding a large remote in his hands, twisting and turning it, passing it from hand to hand. Drawing Rose's eye to it.

"What are you?" he asks. Rose knows, despite the lingering pain in her head and the fear in her heart, that she can't tell him anything. Not a single thing, no matter what. Even if it kills her. They can't get their hands on the Doctor.

"Human."

"That's a lie. Our telepath confirmed that you are part human, but part something else as well. What is it?"

"I'm one hundred percent human. My mother is a human, my father was a human, my gran and granddad on both sides were human. I am a human," Rose insists.

"Ms. Tyler, this is not going to go very well for you if you don't tell us the truth. We're trying to help you."

"No you're not. You've got me strapped to a table! Your blasted telepath invaded my mind, without my permission, and gave me the worst bloody migraine I've ever had in my life. You expect me to believe that you're trying to help me? Don't be so daft. I'm telling you, I'm human. Completely."

The man presses a button on the remote and an electric buzzing fills the room. The current hits her a scant moment later. Her muscles seize and her teeth clamp down hard as the charge runs through her. Rose can't think beyond the pain.

As suddenly as it started, it's gone. Rose slumps boneless on the table, her breathing harsh. She's shaking, but she can't help it.

"What. Are. You?"

"Human," Rose gasps. He presses the button.

"How do you control your power? Our telepath says it's vast, that you could probably destroy the planet with a snap of your fingers. What's the trigger? How do you use it?"

"You talk too much," Rose says, even though it takes all of her strength to be sassy. He presses the button again.

"Tell me!"

"I'm telling you the truth, you bloody wanker! I'm human. Whatever your telepath saw, or says it saw, I don't know anything about it. I don't know what you want. I'm human."

The door flies open and a figure in brown pinstripes stumbles into the room. Rose sucks in a breath. They can't get their hands on the Doctor. If they think a stupid ape like her is powerful enough to torture, she can't imagine what they'll do to the Last of the Time Lords.

"Doctor," she breathes. His head snaps around and his eyes lock with hers. She can see his shock, the way he practically turns to stone right in front of her. He's utterly still, staring at her like his impressive Time Lord brain can't process what's before him.

The man with the remote turns to look at the Doctor, and Rose knows he has to escape. Now.

"Doctor, RUN!"

The Doctor leans forward like he's going to lunge for her, but Rose shakes her head, despite the jarring pain, and screams at him.

"No! Go, Doctor! Go now!" The man runs to the intercom, ready to sound the alarm, as the Doctor flies to her side.

"Rose, are you okay?" The Doctor fumbles with her restrains, and she fights him every step of the way. She doesn't matter. Saving his life matters.

"Doctor, these people are evil. Something is going on here. I think they're looking for aliens with power. You have to go. If you don't, they'll hurt you too. I'll figure out a way out of this, but you have to take the TARDIS and leave. Go where they can't find you. To the end of the Universe, anywhere, please!"

"Rose…"

His body bows violently and the Doctor falls to the ground, unconscious. The commando stands behind him with some kind of Taser in his hands, still aimed at the spot where Doctor's right heart had been.

Terror sweeps through Rose like a hurricane as men in combat gear swarm through the door and surround the Doctor. Rose struggles, bucking and twisting and fighting to get free, to get to the Doctor before they can harm him. The table rocks with the force of her movements, but the restraints don't give.

One of the men reaches towards the Doctor with a cattle prod and Rose knows that if they manage to stop his hearts, he might regenerate. Or die completely. Neither is an option.

Something warm floods her veins, chasing away the fear and filling her with strength. There's a strange song in her head, a song that tells her these men are nothing. Nothing compared to her strength, her power, her love for the Doctor.

"Don't touch him."

The men turn towards her, eyes wide and fearful.

And then yet again, the world goes black.

**A/N 2: As always, feedback is much appreciated! See the button, right below this? It's right there. You should click it. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – Eleven and Clara**

The Doctor has a gob on him. Clara never really realized it before, how much he talks just for the sake of talking, but after so many hours of silence while his body metabolized the antidote it's all she can focus on.

He babbles about everything and nothing at all as he flits around the TARDIS console. She catches only snatches of what he's saying, things like Barcelona and something about dogs. She distinctly hears the words "next Wednesday."

It's those words, the thought of doing this all over again a week from now that really hits Clara hard. This is her life with him; running, always running, running to wonderful things and away from terrifying monsters, and the running will never stop. The monsters and the battles and the fearing for his life will never stop.

How long before something like this happens again? How long before something else gets its hands on the Doctor? And what if next time there is truly no antidote, or she can't get it in time? Clara takes a deep, shaking breath. The thought leaves a sour feeling in her stomach, like she wants to retch, and a gaping hole where her heart should be.

She loves him; the Doctor, the childish, caring, ridiculous, brave man who swept her away to the stars. She's falling in love with him, a little more every day, and it's terrifying. More terrifying than the Klaxors, or any of the monsters they've met so far, more terrifying than the thought of her own injury or death.

It has to stop. Clara can't love the Doctor, not with the life they lead. She's already lost her mum, she can't lose another person she loves. She has to stop it, but she doesn't know how. How do you stop a force of nature, that magnetic pull that draws her heart towards both of the Doctor's even while she digs in her heels?

"I want to go home." The words are strong and clear, which surprises her. The Doctor is still talking. Clara isn't sure he even heard her. She clears her throat and tries again. "Doctor, I want you to take me home."

In some corner of his vast consciousness, the Doctor knows he's rambling, but he can't seem to help himself. He's feeling back to normal after the antidote worked its miracles to save his body from the Klaxor venom. He's got the TARDIS, the old girl faithfully by his side as always. He's got Clara, his impossible girl, and Wednesday isn't over yet. What more could he want? So he rambles on, telling Clara all about the beautiful places they can go and the things they'll see. He figures he owes her something nice, since their last trip did result in his near-death. But no matter. He'll make it up to her next Wednesday.

He becomes vaguely aware that Clara is talking. It takes a moment before her words finally click in his mind and he stops, his babble cutting off mid-word. Go home? What does she mean, go home?

"But Wednesday isn't over yet."

Clara can't help the broken hearted smile that tugs at her lips. He doesn't understand. She isn't sure he ever will.

"I don't mean until next Wednesday, Doctor. I want to go home." Hot, stinging tears well in her eyes and Clara tries to blink them away. "I can't…I can't travel with you anymore."

"Why not?" He looks affronted now, like a hotel manager told his place isn't up to snuff. She wants to leave him? She can't just leave him! The Doctor isn't sure where this madness is coming from, and it baffles him. His impossible girl is usually so level headed. What could possibly be making her talk like this?

Clara knows she can't tell him the truth, at least not the whole truth. Admitting that she's falling in love with him is so…human and she feels like a silly little girl even thinking it. She isn't even sure Time Lords fall in love, or understand love the same way humans do. She couldn't bear to hear anything like that, so she can't tell him.

"Because you almost died today," she finally says. The Doctor scoffs. She wants to leave because of _that_? Is she serious?

"I did not! Just a little scratch, nothing to worry your head over."

"Doctor, you told me you were dying and said goodbye!"

"Momentary lapse. I'm fit as a fiddle!" Clara shakes her head and reaches out to snag the Doctor's hand as he dances past her.

"Either way, I _thought_ you were dying. And I thought you were dying because you jumped in front of a deadly alien to save me. The universe needs you, Doctor, I've seen enough evidence of that. It doesn't need me. I'm not important. And if you're going to jump in front of everything that tries to kill me, and maybe die yourself, then I can't stay. I can't be the reason there's no Doctor."

This gives the Doctor pause. He hadn't given much thought to his actions with the Klaxor. He saw it about to carve up Clara and reacted. He's the Doctor, she's his companion. It's his job to protect her. If he knows that Clara is different, that maybe it wasn't entirely about protecting his travelling companion, he isn't telling.

Now, though, he sees that whatever his motivations, his actions have put crazy thoughts into Clara's head, convincing her she has to leave him for the sake of the universe or some such nonsense. Silly, impossible girl.

The Doctor cups Clara cheek with his free hand, stroking his fingers over her jaw and chin. If this were any other man, any human man, she might think he wanted to kiss her.

As he touches her face, the Doctor has the sudden, almost irresistible urge to press his lips to hers, to finally find out what they feel like, what they taste like. Somehow he manages to refrain from such an ill-advised course of action, and attempts to convince her that she's wrong.

"A thousand years of time and space, and I've never met anyone who wasn't important," he says softly. Clara offers him a watery smile and then pulls away, standing to slip past him. Her resolve crumbles a little bit with each passing moment, and it will only crumble faster if he's touching her.

"Maybe so, but none of us are as important as you. Please, Doctor, take me home."

Her withdrawal stings, and it finally dawns on the Doctor that she might be serious. She really does want to go home, for good. He turns toward her and opens his mouth, ready to say something, anything else that will convince her to stay. Something about the way she resolutely keeps her back to him, shoulders tense and the rest of her body practically screaming at him to leave her alone, convinces him that further efforts would be in vain. And if this is the end of their time together, he doesn't want to end it on a sour note. So with a sigh, his own shoulders slumping in dejection, he turns.

Looking like a kicked puppy, the Doctor nods and sets the TARDIS controls.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I am SO sorry there's been such a lag between posts! Things at work have been just nuts so I haven't been able to post until now. But it's a nice long chapter for you, so hopefully that makes up for it. **

**WARNING: there is torture in this chapter. This is the worst of it, and it's not explicit, but I'm warning you anyway.**

**Enjoy! If you do, you know what to do at the end (and if you don't, hint: feedback!)**

**Chapter 5 – Ten and Rose**

Rose has always thought there could be nothing worse than watching the Doctor suffer a nightmare, unable to do anything but wrap her arms around him and hold him through the night.

She's wrong.

Worse is being forced to listen as the Doctor lives a waking nightmare, and being unable to go to, or even call out to, him. The commandos have them in separate rooms, but the Doctor's screams filter through the concrete walls until Rose is shaking with rage.

She's still restrained to the bloody table, or the wankers holding them hostage would be dead by now. One commando sits in front of her while another stands nearby with a cattle prod, the same one they tried to use on the Doctor. Rose isn't entirely sure what happened, but they seem scared of her now.

"What are you?"

"Human."

"We know that's a lie. What are you?" Rose grits her teeth and bangs her head back against the table.

"Human! How many times do I have to say it? I'm a bloody human!"

The commando says something into a microphone clipped to his collar. The Doctor's screams get louder and more anguished. Rose didn't think that was possible. Tears burn in her eyes as the sounds of torture fill her ears.

"Stop it! I don't know what you want! Just stop!"

The noises get louder. Rose can't distinguish what they might be, and in a way that's worse. Her mind presents her with possibilities far worse than any they could show her.

"Please!"

"Rose!" She nearly sobs at the sound of the Doctor's voice. It's hoarse and broken and so soft through the walls she has to strain to hear it, but she listens hard. "Don't give in, Rose! Escape if you get the chance! Run!"

The Doctor is cut off abruptly with a grunt and a moan of pain. Rose's whole body trembles. She can't even entertain the thought of leaving without him. She doesn't care if she has to tear apart the building and everyone in it, she and the Doctor will escape.

"You have one more chance to tell me what you are before I have to call my boss. Trust me, you'd rather deal with me," the bloke says, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and whispering to her like they're best mates. Rose wants to spit in his face.

"I'm. Human," she says, her lips curling into a snarl. The commando leans back, looking disappointed and a little bit relieved at the same time. He calls into his collar for a Mr. Devlin, and then leaves the room, the man with the cattle prod following dutifully behind.

Rose breathes a sigh of relief and slumps back against the table, all the tension leaving her body. The Doctor's screams have quieted, and Rose can only hope that means they've given him a break until Mr. Devlin appears. She wishes desperately that she could lay eyes on him, confirm for herself that he's alive, if not well.

"Doctor?" she calls, as loudly as she can.

"I'm alright." He doesn't sound alright. He sounds the very opposite of alright, but Rose can't confirm that for herself, so she has to take his word for it.

"I love you," Rose says, her voice wavering.

"I love you too."

Rose closes her eyes, letting those words, words she waited so long to hear, wash over her. They wrap around her like a warm blanket, healing her wounds and lifting her spirit. They will get out of this. They will.

It feels like ages of waiting in silence for this Devlin bloke to appear, and Rose wonders if that isn't on purpose, another torture tactic to drive Rose out of her mind. She's just about to start talking to herself, out loud, when she hears the series of clicks and grinding gears that signal the door unlocking.

Two commandos come in, flanking a man in a sharp, tailored business suit. He's tall and lithe, a bit similar to Rose's first Doctor, except with a full head of jet black hair and a shadow of stubble along his jaw. He would be devastatingly attractive if not for the cold soullessness of his grey eyes.

He sneers at Rose in greeting.

"Rose Tyler," he says in a clipped, posh accent. Chills race across Rose's skin.

"You're this Devlin I'm supposed to be afraid of?" she asks. Mr. Devlin's eyes narrow just slightly and it makes Rose feel like needles of ice are pricking her skin. She understands now why the commandos said she would rather deal with them.

"I am Mr. Devlin." He doesn't address how she should feel about him. Instead, he takes a seat in the empty chair before her and regards her coolly. "Why did you come here today?"

Rose blinks. So far they've only asked her what she is, not why she showed up at the Summit. It throws her for a second.

"Um, my…boss was invited. I'm his plus one."

"And your boss is Dr. Smith, who we've got in the room next door?" Mr. Devlin asks.

"Yes."

"Is he more than simply your boss?"

"No." Rose's answer is automatic. She knows that admitting to a relationship with the Doctor other than a strictly professional one will be disastrous. They're already using him to get to her, and she can't imagine how their torture would escalate if they knew the truth.

Mr. Devlin smiles at her like her mother smiles at small children, the kind of smile that's both condescending and pitying at the same time, and Rose half expects him to pat her on the head.

"Now, Ms. Tyler, we both know you're lying. Tell me the truth, and I'll let your lover go."

"I'm telling you the truth. I'm human. I don't know what you think I am or what you want to hear, but I'm human." Rose is so terrified, she's lost the ability to be snarky. She honestly doesn't know what to tell them. She's human. She's always been human. Why won't they just believe her?

Mr. Devlin reaches out to twirl a strand of Rose's hair around his finger. She flinches and he lets out a soft chuckle.

"It doesn't matter if you know what you are or not. Do you know what happened when you thought we were going to hurt Dr. Smith? You glowed. Humans don't glow, darling. I think that if we can find just the right button to press, you'll show us what you are yet again. And we will keep pressing that button until we know what your power is and how we can use it."

Rose jerks her head back so that her hair slides through his fingers and falls from his hands. Fear and anger simmer in her veins as she narrows her eyes. She doesn't care what they do to her anymore, but they won't hurt the Doctor. They were scared of her before, maybe she can make them scared of her again.

"You can't possibly conceive the true measure of my power," she says. She isn't sure where the words are coming from, but they appear on her tongue like magic and deep down she knows them to be true, though she doesn't know how it's possible. "What you saw before was a wisp, a breath of my potential. Should you somehow manage to unleash the full strength of it, you will wish you'd never been born."

For a long moment, Mr. Devlin simply stares at her. There isn't a flicker of fear in his eyes, though his commandos back up a few steps.

"I think it's time we reunite the doomed lovers," he finally says, his voice hard. Rose fights not to sob with relief. To lay eyes on the Doctor, to see for herself the damage they've caused, is more than she could have hoped for.

The blokes in black unbind her and pull her roughly to her feet before shackling her hands in front of her. One bends down to shackle her ankles as well, and it occurs to Rose that this would be the perfect moment to fight for freedom. It might be her only moment, but she can't bring herself to make a break for it without at least seeing the Doctor first.

They're not gentle as they pull her from the room and down the hall. Rose stumbles more than once, and they yank her to her feet before pushing her farther along the way. Though the room where they're keeping the Doctor is right next to hers, the doors are as far apart as they can be, and the journey feels endless.

Finally, the commando opens the door and shoves her inside.

The sight of the Doctor is the only thing that keeps Rose from falling. He's restrained just as she was, but there are wires connected to his head and his bare chest. Every bit of skin Rose can see is black and blue, and he's covered in cuts that leak blood. Rose knows that the Doctor heals faster than humans, superior Time Lord biology, and he's been left alone for at least an hour. To still look so battered, Rose can't imagine what he looked like before.

The breath leaves her lungs.

"Hello," the Doctor croaks, trying for a smile but only managing a grimace.

"Oh Doctor," Rose breathes. She starts forward, desperate to touch him, to kiss him and reassure him, but the bloody bastards hold her back. "Let me go!"

"Now, now, Ms. Tyler. We've just given you something you desperately wanted, you must give us something in return before we give you more. What are you?" Mr. Devlin asks. Rose meets the Doctor's gaze as she responds.

"Human."

One of the commandos moves to the Doctor's side and flips some kind of switch. A current of electricity pulses through the Doctor. His muscles seize and his body bows off the table.

"Stop!" Rose cries. The commando flips the switch off.

#

The Doctor is gasping for air when the man in combat gear stops the electrocution. Even his respiratory bypass can't keep up with the voltage passing through his body. They've put him through the paces, using every method they know to make him scream. He knows it's for Rose's benefit, they've said as much, so he's tried to stay quiet, but there comes a point when no one can stay silent through the pain. Not even a Time Lord.

One of his hearts has already stopped beating, and they haven't given him a respite long enough to start it again. Too much more of this torture and they'll force him to regenerate, which would be a disaster of epic proportions. Not to mention he doesn't want Rose to have to live through another one. She stuck by him once, and he's sure she would again, but he could end up a decrepit old man again, someone she would hate making love to. He doesn't want that.

"Rose," he whispers. The man in the suit stops questioning her, and Rose falls silent.

"Yeah, Doctor?"

"Do you remember when I…changed, the last time?" Rose's eyes flick between him and the man in the suit. The man watches them with shrewd eyes, waiting to see if they'll give him something more to use against Rose.

"Yes," she whispers. He sees her swallow hard and he knows what she's thinking. Not because he's a telepath, but because he knows her that well.

"I'm not going to do that again. I'm choosing not to do that again, no matter what. Do you understand?" He spends a moment cataloging each piece of her reaction; her eyes go slightly wide and her heart races. He can see the moisture in her eyes.

"Yes," she says through her tears.

"Oh Rose. Whatever happens, I love you. Meeting you, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. You took a scared, broken man and made him whole. You made me better. I love you so much for that, my Rose. Remember that."

He says everything that's in his heart, everything he wants her to know when he's gone. He doesn't say goodbye.

#

The Doctor is saying goodbye. He isn't saying the words, but Rose knows that's what he's doing. He must be close to regenerating, and he won't let these mental wankers learn what a powerful weapon they have in him.

Rose can barely see through her tears and she lifts her shackled hands, trying to wipe them away. She doesn't want her last view of the Doctor veiled by her tears.

"Time to go," Mr. Devlin says. The commandos roughly pull her away towards the door.

"No," Rose says, trying to race forward. She has to kiss the Doctor, hold his hand one last time. She has to comfort him, let him know that she'll be okay, even if she barely believes it herself. "No!"


End file.
